Nope. If they didn't know the difference, I would question their claim to be vegan or vegetarian. I'd be polite about it - but inwardly getting ready to decide this person is probably someone who lies casually and frequently or is a bit off the planet in the reality department.
I asked a self-proclaimed “vegan” what it meant to be vegan and I was hit with the “you’re not vegan so you wouldn’t understand even if I told you”. I pressed the issue but got nowhere.
Hmm. I've known many vegans - none who would have passed up an invitation to proclaim their cause on behalf of animals. But every generalisation has its limits.
Vegans believe that animals - all animals, including insects - are sentient and hence deserve the same rights and consideration as human beings. For vegans, eating flesh is morally no different to being a cannibal; to eat honey, propolis, dairy products or eggs is to be a thief, torturer and murderer.
Vegans get a vast amount of hostile questioning, verbal abuse and taunting from non-vegans. Many are ostracised because others dislike being Bible-bashed about a cause they have no sympathy for. For vegans, so much rejection can have the effect of exacerbating their already angry predispositions. So maybe you met a vegan who has ceased campaigning and decided that non-vegans are simply a hopeless cause.
This post was edited by inky at August 27, 2019 10:28 AM MDT
I find this the most boring of subjects and yet another way for the pitiful to seek attention. In a quest for unique identity people love to say "I'm a xxx." I just don't care what you eat. If you don't eat meat products one day, you were a vegetarian that day. Same thing for veganism. You can eat the way you want from day to day. You need not make a proclamation about what you eat........................or which variety of human you wish to sleep with. Attention seekers are bottom feeders.
Wow! I'm a little amazed. I'm also not sure how much of an answer I should offer, for fear of being boring. I would generally only mention my own vegetarianism if it was relevant to some question someone asks, or if I'm checking about ingredients in a dish at a restaurant. I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian since I was 21 - 41 years. It's not what I am and not my identity, but it is a big part of my lifestyle. It affects what I grow in the garden, how and where I shop for food, hygeine practises in the fridge and sink, how I cook meals and which restaurants or cafés I prefer. It doesn't affect who my friends are, but it had a strong effect on who I married. I don't believe that for most vegetarians and vegans, their choice is about identity - far from it. Nor do I think it's about attention-seeking; it's such a common diet now that every restaurant and supermarket caters for it. If one wanted to seek attention over food, anorexia would do the job much more effectively.
There are several possible reasons for choosing veganism or vegetarianism: - ethics concerning the killing or suffering inflicted on animals - health and nutrition - aesthetic or taste preferences - ecological concern for the planet - economic, not being able to afford animal sources of protein - social concern for food distribution and equity - religious The vast majority of vegetarians or vegans choose their diet for one or more of these reasons.
Vegans will tend to be more vocal about it - they are often activists for animal rights.
Most vegetarians educate themselves very thoroughly on the details of nutrition science. The few who don't tend to suffer the consequences.
Many vegans think they've got the right knowledge, but are talking to themselves with misinformation. There is now an increasingly common problem of anaemia and osteoporosis in aging vegans, and damage to nerves from insufficient B12.
Vegetarians on the other hand, are generally much healthier than most meat-eaters.
That said, I am not one for campaigning for vegetarianism. I think it's each person's absolute right to choose the diet that fits their needs and preferences.
And I'm not disinterested in what others eat. There's always a chance that I could learn of a new ingredient or cooking technique. Healthy food has the potential to be one of life's greatest pleasures - it certainly is in mine.
This post was edited by inky at August 26, 2019 9:45 PM MDT
Book, there are some people who are EXTREMELY militant about the anti-meat stance, such to the point that they berate (and/or belittle) carnivores with the meat-is-murder message. Even if you’ve never encountered them, believe me, they exist.
True story. I once had a vegan try to "shame" me with the whole "meat is murder" line. My response was along the lines of: "Well, if I don't get out my anger by killing animals, I'd have to kill people."
WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH 